influencing the final cup quality. Early picking of matured Arabica red cherries
gives the best physical and biochemical cup quality of coffee [38]. Low contents of
caffeine were also found in overripe and under-ripe cherries [273]. The selective
picking cherries, at fully mature stage, are used for wet processing, while cherries
with varying maturations stages are recommended for further drying process [274].
Harvesting methods directly or indirectly influence the dry bean size, weight, color,
primary and secondary defects (full black, fungus attacked, insect damaged, and
foreign matter, etc.), odor, and roast and cup quality. Selective picking at maturation and further appropriate postharvest treatments gives the best coffee beans size
[38]. Strip picking and other poor harvesting practices may result in reduction of
bean quality and uneven bean distribution. Uniform bean size is not only a criterion
for fetching high price in international market [275], but also uniform beans give
uniform roast free of burnt, over-roasted or under roasted roast. Coffee from
selective harvesting have superior quality (Grade 2) considered equivalent to
specialty coffee, while strip harvesting usually gives lower (grade 5) quality coffee.
Selective picking also gives uniform beans weight and color as mature cherries
have 20% more weight than under-mature cherries [89]. Inclusion of under-ripen or
overripen cherries not only gives varying weight beans but also nonuniform/uneven colored roast [276]. Primary and secondary defects cause off-flavor in coffee
and least average number of cherries with primary and secondary defects was
found in washed coffee from selective harvesting. This may be due to the fact that
strip harvesting may harvest the broken, faded, foxy, insect pest damaged, and
fungal-infected cherries. Similarly properly harvested and postharvest managed
cherries tend to produce better aroma and odor [273, 276]. Selective harvested
coffee beans are also resistant to roast volume change and roasted bean weight loss,
whereas highest roast volume change and roasted bean weight loss was observed
for strip harvesting coffee. The reason behind this is the nonuniform cherry size
due to which there are more chances of moisture and internal composition losses,
volatile compound losses, and gas expansions [5, 277]. High acidity coffee is
considered as premium and fetch premium. High acidic coffee has a sharp,
pleasing, snappy flavor, which gave more intense aroma and better quality to the
resultant beverage [24]. Selective harvesting and further postharvest processing via
wet processing produces such kind of high quality acidic coffee. Breaking of
mucilage layer, covering the parchment, in fermentation process, while wet processing, may be the other reason of high quality acidic coffee. It is also reported
that selective picking with wet processing gives good cup quality features such as
acidity, body, and flavor. High cup quality in terms of flavor for selective picking
may be due to the fact that mature cherries possess highest amount of sucrose
which contributes to the higher brix of coffee with other optimum taste attributes
[89]. The choice of harvesting method depends upon the way of processing after
harvesting (dry, wet, or semi washed), availability of skilled labor and expertise,
climatic and seasonal conditions, marketability, profitability, variety of coffee,
local policies, and farmer socio-economic condition. Normally selective picking
is the choice, where wet or semiwet processing is adopted, to maximize the
percentage of mature cherries. The choice of harvesting method is also not made
27 “Coffee Bean-Related” Agroecological Factors Affecting the Coffee
689
gives the best physical and biochemical cup quality of coffee [38]. Low contents of
caffeine were also found in overripe and under-ripe cherries [273]. The selective
picking cherries, at fully mature stage, are used for wet processing, while cherries
with varying maturations stages are recommended for further drying process [274].
Harvesting methods directly or indirectly influence the dry bean size, weight, color,
primary and secondary defects (full black, fungus attacked, insect damaged, and
foreign matter, etc.), odor, and roast and cup quality. Selective picking at maturation and further appropriate postharvest treatments gives the best coffee beans size
[38]. Strip picking and other poor harvesting practices may result in reduction of
bean quality and uneven bean distribution. Uniform bean size is not only a criterion
for fetching high price in international market [275], but also uniform beans give
uniform roast free of burnt, over-roasted or under roasted roast. Coffee from
selective harvesting have superior quality (Grade 2) considered equivalent to
specialty coffee, while strip harvesting usually gives lower (grade 5) quality coffee.
Selective picking also gives uniform beans weight and color as mature cherries
have 20% more weight than under-mature cherries [89]. Inclusion of under-ripen or
overripen cherries not only gives varying weight beans but also nonuniform/uneven colored roast [276]. Primary and secondary defects cause off-flavor in coffee
and least average number of cherries with primary and secondary defects was
found in washed coffee from selective harvesting. This may be due to the fact that
strip harvesting may harvest the broken, faded, foxy, insect pest damaged, and
fungal-infected cherries. Similarly properly harvested and postharvest managed
cherries tend to produce better aroma and odor [273, 276]. Selective harvested
coffee beans are also resistant to roast volume change and roasted bean weight loss,
whereas highest roast volume change and roasted bean weight loss was observed
for strip harvesting coffee. The reason behind this is the nonuniform cherry size
due to which there are more chances of moisture and internal composition losses,
volatile compound losses, and gas expansions [5, 277]. High acidity coffee is
considered as premium and fetch premium. High acidic coffee has a sharp,
pleasing, snappy flavor, which gave more intense aroma and better quality to the
resultant beverage [24]. Selective harvesting and further postharvest processing via
wet processing produces such kind of high quality acidic coffee. Breaking of
mucilage layer, covering the parchment, in fermentation process, while wet processing, may be the other reason of high quality acidic coffee. It is also reported
that selective picking with wet processing gives good cup quality features such as
acidity, body, and flavor. High cup quality in terms of flavor for selective picking
may be due to the fact that mature cherries possess highest amount of sucrose
which contributes to the higher brix of coffee with other optimum taste attributes
[89]. The choice of harvesting method depends upon the way of processing after
harvesting (dry, wet, or semi washed), availability of skilled labor and expertise,
climatic and seasonal conditions, marketability, profitability, variety of coffee,
local policies, and farmer socio-economic condition. Normally selective picking
is the choice, where wet or semiwet processing is adopted, to maximize the
percentage of mature cherries. The choice of harvesting method is also not made
27 “Coffee Bean-Related” Agroecological Factors Affecting the Coffee
689